Best Hip Hop Albums of This Decade??

horsebox09

Ok seen as their are alot of people who are feeling like hip hop has gone down hill over the last 10 years, i decided to make this thread and get some thoughts from posters about what you think are the best (or your personal favorite) albums of this decade.

Personally, i don't think hip hop has gone down hill, most of the better stuff being released is just not as talked about as stuff released from the 90's, so im hoping to use this thread to show people that good hip hop is still out there, and im looking to see if their are many albums that ive missed out on!

Alright enough rambling heres some of my favorites of this decade...

Eminem - Marshall Mathers lp; most people here will have this but you haven't, this eminem at his best. Very dark and angry album, but it's also one the most critically acclaimed hip hop albums of all time, id say most people already have this.

Cannibal ox - the cold vein; this is underground rap at its best,this album has even been compared to 36 chambers by wu tang clan. Crazy spaced out beats by el-p and great poetic/astract rhymes by vast aire and vorbul mega. might be too long for some, but let it grow on you (i hated it at first) and you'll love it.

Vakill - the darkest cloud; a great battle rap record, very boom bap sounding album. vakill is a very talented emcee and it shows here. beats are deadly aswell, some even sound like primo beats!
even though it's a battle rap album, it has a good few concept tracks which keep it from being monotonus. Ras kass and chino xl fans will like this!

Madviilain- madvillainy; one of the more well known underground album (is it even underground??) and it deserves it's praise. madlib's crazy beats and MF DOOM's offbeat style blend perfectly. most of the songs are only 2 mins long, but it gives the album great reply value. might take awhile to get into but its worth sticking with, trust me!

Quasimoto - the unseen; another madlib invasion! he basically binged on shrooms for a week, and this was the result, the birth of a musical masterpiece (yep,masterpiece). the beats on here are just unbelievable, madlib's sampling of unkwon jazz tracks is genius in my opinion. people might be turned off by madlib's high pitched voice, but if you can get past it you'll appreciate this album, if ot just download the instrumental version! madvillain fans will love this, and vice versa.

Edan - beauty and the beat; the humble magnificent at his most creative. this album is a mix of psychedelic rock and hip hop. edan is a very commanding emcee, reminds me of an 80's emcee.. the guests on here are brillaint, mr lifs verse on making planets is just insane! hard to believe that other than the guests, edan done everythig on this album by himself.
''The Underground is made of Velvet
Where buttersoft brothers talk tough on max but ain't sell s**t'' very true

Louis Logic - sin-a-matic; a great debut album by the drunken dragon.
his style is very similar to eminems slim shady persona. lyrically, louis uses multi rhyming as much as he can, and its very impressive.
the production is very upbeat and works great. one of my favorite things about this album is that louis holds most of it down by himself. if your easily offended DO NOT listen to this!

Common - be; this is just class album. everything blends so well together.
common lyrics are more story telling compared to his other albums.
production, all by kanye apart from 2 tracks (by jay dee!) is perfect.
maybe none of the tracks match i used to love h.e.r or the 6th sense, but as whole this is my favorite common album


So theres some of favorite albums of the last 10 years,no doubt im forgetting alot of other albums, what albums have other poster been feeling from this era??


a couple i forgot

ghostface - supreme clientelle
cunninlynguists - a piece of strange
masta ace - a long hot summer/disposable arts
elzhi - the preface
juggaknots - RErelease

BayCity

Canibus -Rip The Jacker
Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientelle
GZA - Legend of the Liquid Swords
Immortal Technique - 3rd World
Jurassic 5 - Feedback
Killah Preist - Black August
Talib Kweli - Eardrum
Nas - God Son
Nas Stillmatic
Gangstarr - The Ownerz

Boom_Bap

Not going to post a list yet as i need to put a bit more thought into it. But just a comment on horseboxes list......really like it.
Sin-A-Matic is a brilliant album, beats are perfect, rhymes are perfect, guest spots are perfect....heck, even the album artwork is great.

But there is one album on your list that i was discussing with a good friend of mine the other day. BE is a fantastic album, the productions and lyrics are perfectly blended on this, it's a relatively short album too, and we decided that this is part of the genius behind the album. If it was any longer it would possibly be repetitive and start to bore you......maybe that's why i didnt like the follow up to BE.

Makaveli

I agree with The Cold Vein doubt I'd have the rest in there to be honest. Was not a fan of Be at all really. Some of the ones you mentioned but didn't comment on would be the ones that come to mind first.

Quick list off the bat

Jay-Z - The Blueprint
Clipse - Lord Willin'
The Roots - Game Theory
CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange
Masta Ace - A Long Hot Summer
Outkast - Speakerboxxx / The Love Below
Mr Lif - I Phantom
Nas - Stillmatic

horsebox09

I know what you mean, these lists are just down to opinion,majority of the albums i said are more of an acquired taste.

to be honest i think the blueprint has too much filler, i was going to list it aswell but 3-4 tracks for me are pure filler.
i like stillmatic but if i was putting a nas album down i'd take the lost tapes, saying that one mic is one of nas' best tracks.

never heard that clipse album but i heard hell hath no fury and didnt feel it.

i agree with boom bap on BE, 40 minutes of quality music imo.

i like baycity's list aswell, id take rev vol.2 over the 3rd world but thats a solid list.

anoter album i forgot, j live - the best part, im gonna re-do my list in the next few days!

surball

would agree with most of the above, here are a couple of my picks count bass d - dwight spitz edan - beauty and the beat EL-P - I'll sleep when your're dead Madvillain - Madvillainy (in fact most of madlib's/ DOOM's output)

BLITZ_Molloy

Personally I think Vaudeville Villain beats Madvillainy by a nose. Not many people tend to cite that one but it'd be my favourite MF Doom album.

horsebox09

BLITZ_Molloy wrote: »

Personally I think Vaudeville Villain beats Madvillainy by a nose. Not many people tend to cite that one but it'd be my favourite MF Doom album.

Vaudeville Villain, another 1 i forgot! thats a great album, i'd say doom was better on that album but i love madlib's production on madvillainy, their both class albums though

ghostface ste

I'll throw in a couple extra on top of what has already been said.

Murs - End of the Beginning
Elzhi - The Preface
Atmosphere - When life gives you lemons...
Outkast - Speakerboxx/love below
Dead Prez - lets get free (just for Hip Hop!)

I'll think properly when not in work

Makaveli

horsebox09 wrote: »

i like stillmatic but if i was putting a nas album down i'd take the lost tapes, saying that one mic is one of nas' best tracks.

I'd have had it in there but it's not really a 2000 album because it's stuff that was recorded along with I Am.

magma69

Agreed on The Cold Vein and Madvillainy.
I'd add
K-Otix-Universal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9wJQEV5ySc

DangerDoom-The Mouse and the Mask http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR2BboZeLEw

J Dilla-Donuts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeXSPdWZPc0

RJD2-Deadringer (not 100% hip hop but close enough) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKJeLG8-M5I

floggg

ghostface ste wrote: »

I'll throw in a couple extra on top of what has already been said.

Murs - End of the Beginning
Elzhi - The Preface
Atmosphere - When life gives you lemons...
Outkast - Speakerboxx/love below
Dead Prez - lets get free (just for Hip Hop!)

I'll think properly when not in work

I originally thought that elzhi wasn't worthy of a best of the decade list - i think its a great album, but it lacks a certain amount of replay value IMO.

However, i gave it another listen today, and i have to say, while i still think it lacks that certain something, it is every bit a classic for the lyricism alone. He really killed it, and i think it deserves to be considered in the same terms as illmatic and soul on ice from a lyricism point of view. Nearly every song is approached with a concept, rather than just trying to say some fly ****, its innovative, intelligent, and incredibly well executed. songs like D.E.M.O.N.S., colours, guessing gameare a real step above most of whats out there in terms of concept, and of course, the classic that is motown 25 (although as good as lezhi is, i think royce owns this track)!

horsebox09

Yeah i had to listen to the preface a few times before i really liked it, everything on that album is on point! Talking in my sleep is probably my favorite track
I'd say it's the best rap album released since 2006

As far as i know elzhi has a new album dropping by the end of the year



Agreed on The Cold Vein and Madvillainy.
I'd add
K-Otix-Universal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9wJQEV5ySc

DangerDoom-The Mouse and the Mask http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR2BboZeLEw

J Dilla-Donuts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeXSPdWZPc0

RJD2-Deadringer (not 100% hip hop but close enough) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKJeLG8-M5I

good choices their, havent heard all of that rjd2 album, must check it out
k-otix were one of the first undergroud acts i heard, forgot all about them
donuts is a masterpiece, how dilla managed to make that in the condition he was in is incredible, definitely adding that on my list!

The-Game

Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Linx 1 and This years follow up with Part 2

Now i know the original came out in 95 which is over 10 years but both are legendary albums.

terribletim

I don't know about this lists lark, but I am terribly fond of the Biggie/Tupac remix Runnin with the Xx. As the OP said, they don't make them like they used to so that's probably the single best track of the naughties.

Siobhan Moloney

Have to throw in Dr Dre 2001 in here! Classic!

Jimmy Iovine

Siobhan Moloney wrote: »

Have to throw in Dr Dre 2001 in here! Classic!

Despite the name it was actually released in 1999

HalloweenJack

For me:
Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers (someone else mentioned Feedback, I like that one too but feel Power In Numbers is better)
Nas - Stillmatic
OutKast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Talib Kweli - Quality
J-Dilla - Donuts
Kanye West - College Dropout
Nappy Roots - Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz
Snoop Dogg - Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
Clipse - Lord Willin'

30txsbzmcu2k9w

Off the top of my head

MadVillain - Madvillainy
Binary Star- Masters of the Universe (think it came out in 2000?)
Raekwon -OBFCL II
Cannabil Ox - The Cold Vein
The Streets - Original Pirate Material (not really hiphop but what an album)

mufcboy1999

blueprint
stillmatic
only built for cuban linx
get rich or die tryin
dre 2001

many many more they stand out for me

Makaveli

2001 = 1999